Prime Minister Andy Burnham has cancelled official engagements on Monday and Tuesday following the death of his father, Roy, who had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
Mr Burnham had been due to host business leaders at Downing Street on Monday afternoon and chair the weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning. He was also expected to deliver a speech at the Trades Union Congress in Brighton.
Downing Street said in a statement: “The PM has cancelled engagements for today and tomorrow due to the passing of his father, Roy.”
Mr Burnham has previously spoken publicly about his father’s illness and the impact it had on his family. His father’s condition became so advanced that he did not know that his son had become Prime Minister.
The experience has been an important influence on Mr Burnham’s plans to reform the social care system, with the government seeking to address the pressures facing families caring for relatives with complex and long-term needs.
The Prime Minister is expected to return to his official programme after the two-day absence, although Downing Street has not indicated whether his cancelled engagements will be rescheduled.
Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, offered her condolences to Mr Burnham and his family in a post on X.
“My condolences to Prime Minister Andy Burnham and all his family. No matter how old you are, or how much you try to prepare, losing your father is a profoundlly painful experience. A part of your life that has always been there is suddenly gone forever and it can feel as though a part of you won’t ever be the same again. May Roy Burnham Rest In Peace.”
The death comes as the government faces a busy political week, with cabinet discussions and the Trades Union Congress among the Prime Minister’s scheduled engagements.
Mr Burnham has made reform of social care a central part of his domestic agenda, drawing in part on his own family’s experience of caring for his father.
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